Protective cover for bottle nipples or the like



PROTECTIVE COVER FOR BOTTLE NIPPLES OR THE LEI'J'QL' Filed Aug. 6, 1963 H. S FISHER ETAL Jul 20, 1965 HARLAND s FISHER INVENTORS CHARLES A. DUMAS AGENIT.

July 20, 1955 H. s. FISHER ETAL.

PROTECTIVE COVER FOR BOTTLE NIPPLES OR THE LIKE Filed Aug. 6, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 2' HARLA'ND s. FISH-ER mmvroxs A'G ENT.

CH A R L is A. DU M AS United States Patent 0.

3,l5',753 C(BVER NIPR LE R THE LEKE Harland S. Fisher, Longrneadow, and Charles A. Dumas, Westtleld, Mass nssignors to United Estates Envelope Company, Springfield, Mass, a corporation of Maine Filed 6, 1963, Ser. No. 3dtl,17 1 Claim. (Cl. 215-11) This invention relates generally to protective covers for nipples which are attached to bottles, and more specifical- 1y, this invention relates to flat, envelopedike covers made of paper or similar material which may be applied over the nipple of a bottle to protect it against contamination.

This invention is especially adapted for use on nursery bottles, where it is necessary for protecting the health of babies that the bottle and its nipple be sterile. It is generally routine practice to fill the bottle with food, apply the nipple to the mouth of the bottle, and then sterilize the assembly to make it ready for giving the baby its feeding. During the time interval between sterilization and feeding the baby, it is essential to keep the sterile nipple free from contamination.

Various types of nipple protective covers have been known in the past. Among them, probably the most desirable is the paper disposable type, having generally the form of an open end envelope or fiat cup. Paper covers are desirable from an economic standpoint, as well as being convenient to use because of their ease of handling and disposal. Paper covers may be applied to the bottle before sterilization, be sterilized simultaneously with the bottle and nipple and be left in place on the bottle until it is ready for use.

in using covers made of paper or similar flexible material, a problem has been encountered in providing means for retaining the cover over the nipple of the bottle. Attempts have been made to solve this problem by providing the open end of the cover with tabs folded back into the inside of the cover. It has been found, however, that such covers must be made of a relatively heavy Weight material to give enough rigidity, or body, to the tabs to make them effective to lock the cover in place. Furthermore, the fold lines connecting the tabs to the cover are critical in that the fold must not be so sharp as to take the springiness or resilience out of the mate rial, because when the walls of the cover are parted in applying it to a bottle, the tabs must spring open into position to lock in place on the bottle or base of the nipple. Such folds are sometimes ditiicult to consistently control, as well as to maintain during storage, because of the tendency of the folds in the material to set.

Accordingly, it is a main object of this invention to provide the open ends of paper nipple covers with an improved locking portion. It is a further object of this invention to provide such covers with a locking portion that positively springs into operable position even when a relatively light weight material is used, and to eliminate the necessity of relying on the preciseness to which the folds have been made or have assumed.

The present invention is in general terms, an envelopelike cover, made from paper or similar material having about the same physical properties as the paper from which an ordinary mailing envelope is made. The cover comprises two opposed flat walls, closed along the top and side edges and open at the bottom edge. Locking web-like members are provided at the lower corner portions of the cover. The web-like members normally fold flatly inside the pocket of the envelope-like cover, but when its side edges are compressed near the bottom, thereby causing the bottom portion of the cover to assurne a generally elliptical cross section, the webs fold inwardly to restrict the size of the opening, because of Bibi ri id i atented July 2%, ltd-65 stresses created in the normally fiat cover when it is distorted to assume the elliptical cross section. When placed over the nipple on a bottle, these web-like members which are being positively sprung inwardly come to rest below the base of the nipple or cap of the bottle, locking it in position to cover the nipple.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is an elevation view of a nipple cover according to my invention having a section removed to illustrate the corner web-like members.

FIGURE 2 is a section view taken along line 2-2 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary view of a corner of an envelope having a modified form of web-like member.

FlGURE 4 is a perspective view of a cover according to my invention showing the side edges at the bottom or open end portion slightly compressed to open the bottom of the cover.

FIGURE 5 is an elevation view of a cover according to this invention locked in place over the nipple of a bottle, a portion or the cover being cut away to better show the position of the locking web-like member.

FIGURE 6 is an elevation View, similar to FIGURE 5, of a cover according to this invention locked in place on a bottle having a different type nipple than that shown in FIGURE 5.

FIGURE 7 is a plan view of a blank from which a cover according to my invention is made.

Referring to the drawings, the protective cover lttl cornprises generally a front panel 12 connected to a back panel 14- along a top edge fold 16 and side edge folds 18 and 2d. The open, irregular, bottom edge includes end segments 22 and 2d and an intermediate segment 25. In this illustrated embodiment of the invention, the back panel 14 is made up of overlapping flaps 28, 3d, and 32 extending from the front panel 12 at the edge folds 18, 2b, and 16 respectively. Overlapping portions of the flaps 28, 3t}, and 32 are adliesively connected.

The bottom edge of the protective cover includes end segments 22 and 24 extending along both the front and back panels. These segments may intersect at the center of the bottom edge, thereby occupying all of the bottom edge, or the inner ends of the segments may be spaced apart and joined by a connecting intermediate segment 26 which may assume any convenient contour. It is important, however, that the segments 22 and 24 at least occupy a substantial portion of the bottom edge, because they form. as to be explained hereinafter, the supporting structure for the web-like members which look the cover ill in place on a bottle.

Both the front and back panels provide a foundation along the segments 22 and 24 for supporting the locking web-like members 34 and 36, which are illustrated as continuous extensions of the opposed panels of the cover, member 34- being connected to the panels along fold lines 33 and 4- and member 3:: being connected to the panels along fold lines 42 and 44 (see FIGURE 6). The angle which segment 22 forms with the side edge fold it and the angle which segment 2d forms with side edge fold Ztl must be at least slightly greater than for the locking members 34- and E6 to operate. Preferably these angles are appreciably greater than 90, say or ()n the other hand, if this angle is greater than about the web-like members 34 and 35 do not adequately lock the cover on the bottle. The web-like members 34 and 38 each have a section extending from the back panel, the sections in each member 3 5 and 36 being divided along fold lines 46 and 48 respectively. The members 34 and 36 are each folded back into the pocket of the envelope and normally lie flat between the front and back walls thereof. The

members 34 and 36 also are of a size, and terminate in edges. 59 and 52 respectively, such that when the side edges folds 18 and 20 are compressed near the bottom of the envelope an amount sufiicient to .cause the Weblike members 34 and 36 to spread out almost fiat, the resulting opening at the bottom of the cover determined by the edges 50 and 52 will follow generally the contour of the object around which it is to conform.

FIGURE 4 illustrates a cover according to this inven tion which has been partially opened to about the position desired for applying to the top of a bottle. Compression of the edges of the cover as indicated by the arrows causes the bottom of the cover to open and spread the web-like members. The web-like members 34 and 36 are forced to open because of stress created in the bottom portion of the cover which is now distorted from its normally fiat, closed position. The web-like members are positively held open as long. as the compression continues. As long as the members 34 and 36 are not spread open to a fiat position by excess compression, the free edges 50 and 52 of the webs will yield, under stress, to pass over the top of a bottle. Once the Web-like members snap in and lock underthe r for nursery bottle nipples comprising an envelope having bottle 'cap or nipple base, the cover is not easily removed I of a bottle 54, covering nipple 56. To reach this position, a cover which has been distorted to about the extent as the cover illustrated in FIGURE 4 is pulled down over the nipple, the web-like members 34 and 3-5, yielding as the cover 10 begins passage over the cap 58, immediately snap inwardly to lock around the base of the cap 58 and assume the position shown in FIGURE 5. It is desirable, although not essential, to form the free edges of the web-like members in a contour, such that in their partially unfolded position as shown in FIGURES 4 and 5, the free edges whereof jointly assume generally the curvature of the portion of a bottle around which they are to fit. However, the free edges 50 and 52 may, of course, assume other contours. In FIGURE 6, generally the same situation is illustrated, but the cover 10 is shown covering a slightly different type nipple. Instead of the cover 10 locking under a bottle cap, as in FIGURE 5, it locks under the base of the nipple 56 on bottle 54.

It may be desired to make the protective cover in a modified form, such as that illustrated in FIGURE 3. Here, instead of providing one-piece, continuous web- "like members, the sections of the web-like members 34, which extend from the front and back panels of the cover are separated, and thereafter connected together i by adhesive 66 along edges 62 and 64. The web-like member on the other side would, of course, be made in a similar manner. In some instances, this arrangement may be desirable from a manufacturing standpoint. it will be understood that various changes in the details, materials, steps and arrangements of parts, which have been herein described and illustrated in order to explain the nature of the invention, may be made by those skilled in the art within the principle and scope of the invention as expressed in the appended claims.

We claim: A normally flat protective cover of flexible material (a) a closed top edge, (b) a bottom edge open for the full length thereof, (c) closed side edges extending between the top edge and the bottom edge,

(d) said bottom edge including end segments adjacent the side edges of substantial length in relation to the total length of the bottom edge, each of said segments intersecting a side edge at an angle at least slightly greater than and less than approximately v (e) a web-like member extending from each bottom edge end segment along both the front and back panels of said envelope, the portions of the Web-like members extending from the front panels bottom edge end segments being connected by a fold line to the adjacent portions of the .web-like members extending from the back panels bottom edge end segments at their ends closest to the side edges of the envelope, thereby creating a continuous web along each of the bottom edges end segments from the front panel to the back panel of the envelope,

(f) said web-like members'being defined from the envelope body by fold lines and being folded back into the pocket of said envelope along said fold lines to assume a doubled-over position entirely within the envelope when same is in its normal fiat position, and a (g) the free edges of said web-like members having a contour which assumes a generally circular shape when the lower side edges of the envelope are compressed.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 8/52 Bachia et a1. 215-11 7/64 Di Prima 215-l1 FRANKLIN T. GARRETT, Primary Examiner. 

